Beluga

‘Made with Pride’.

It’s great to read this statement when looking into a brand for the first time. It evokes feelings of wonder as you ponder the craftsmanship that has been placed into creating the liquid. The question is though, does it actually define the brand? Or is it a loose term to gain some sense of credibility from the get-go? Beluga use such a statement, so lets dive in and see if it backs itself up.

Beluga was first created back in 2002, produced at the Mariinsky Distillery in Siberia. The distillery itself has been in operation since 1900 and is close to 300 metre deep Siberian artesian wells, a key component within Beluga (actually makes up 60% of the Beluga formula and is filtered three times).
A malt spirit is the base of the recipe, which isn’t widely used in vodka production due to its high-cost and and labor-intensive production. Another method rarely seen in vodka is maturation, but Beluga introduce this into their final stages, varying between one and three months depending on the grade.

But how does it fare? Well below, I give to you my tasting notes –

Beluga – 40%

On the nose, a thick, soft malt aroma comes through, which carries onto the palate, albeit a cleaner feel. Fresh, with hints of sugar and some slight herbal notes produce a long, powerful finish.

Quite a vodka here, and one that packs a good punch when drunk straight (although not the classic ‘vodka burn’ that many seem to describe when drinking vodka neat. Although if you’d rather see this as a good base cocktail, perhaps this could sway you –

Russian Porto

Russian Porto

Glass – Rocks

Ingredients –

50 ml Beluga
40 ml White Porto
3 drops Angostura Bitters

Method –

Pour the Beluga, White Port and Angostura Bitters into a mixing glass and add ice. Stir and pour into a rocks glass filled with ice. Add a cocktail cherry to garnish.

Something a little different for sure, but I think Beluga works that well with their use of maturation and malt spirit. One for the drinks cabinet, and one you can safely say that it really is ‘made with pride’. I mean, to use such methods, such ingredients, such serving suggestions; it’s almost as if they wanted to make a cracking vodka!